794 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



invested in developing the cultivation. Besides this, there will be the 

 advantage of improving the material condition of the people, especially 

 the aborigines inhabiting the forests, and steadying the market. The 

 present violent oscillations in the prices of the crude material \^oiild 

 be avoided if not completely ehminated and the possibility of the 

 introduction of synthetic or other cheap subsStitutes would be postponed 

 indefinitely. Much could be done to extend the cultivation of lac by 

 starting suitable measures for the distribution of healthy broodlac at 

 jjroper times and at cheap rates so as to enable even the proprietor of a 

 few trees only to inoculate his trees. At the present time it is practically 

 impossible to obtain good, healthy and cheap broodlac for inoculation 

 purposes. The prices charged are not only exorbitant but prohibitive 

 as well. I know from past experience that when stick-lac was quoted 

 at Rs. 20 per maund in Calcutta, the prices charged for Kusumb brood- 

 lac were ranging anywhere between Rs. 40 to 60 ]3er maund, and as it is 

 known that the greater portion of the stuff consists of wood and colouring 

 matter, the actual price of resin obtained by scraping the broodlac 

 sticks works to a prohibitive figure. This to my mind has been mainly 

 responsible for limited cultivation and subsequent production. I know 

 for a fact that a large number of cultivators go long distances from their 

 places in search of healthy broodlac. They sometimes resort to hilly 

 tracts where they think they will be certain of obtaining healthy broodlac 

 at fair rates. In some places the lac cultivators having obtained abnormal 

 prices for their crude material have taken the trouble of exchanging 

 their broodlac with others living in hilly tracts or in localities where the 

 broodlac is conf^idered to reproduce well. With so many obstructions 

 and with an ever-changing market, it is no wonder that the cultivation 

 , .should have remained in so precarious a condition as is the case at the 

 present time. Thus it seems reasonable that in any scheme of future 

 development of cultivation, the provision of nurseries in suitable localities 

 should not be lost sight of. Besides this, facilities for the transport 

 of broodlac are so cumbrous and the freight charges so heavy that it 

 is not only impossible but risky to import broodlac from other localities. 

 I have personally experienced the trouble of obtaining broodlac from 

 places other than Pusa. The lac cultivators are at first reluctant to 

 undertake the work of packing and sending out parcels of broodlac by 

 rail. The question of despatch by post is prohibitive on account of the 

 heavy postal charges. If, however, they are induced to undertake such 

 work, the transport difficulties are so great that all the efforts end in 

 failure. I have seen instances where crates containing broodlac have 

 been allowed to lie on railway station platforms in the sun for days 

 •.together before they were despatched to their proper destination and, 



